The Crumbling Sanctuary
Jang Yeeun was standing right there the moment I stepped out of the restroom. She tilted her head slightly, wearing a smile that felt somehow off—a touch of darkness lingering in her expression that wasn't usually there.
"Are you okay, Sieun?"
Jang Yeeun’s voice was as soft as ever, but it gave me an uneasy feeling. It was as if she knew something. "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you."
Jang Yeeun stared into my eyes for a long moment before taking a quiet step toward me. "Then why did you come here? Is there something else you need besides the restroom?"
In that instant, I sensed the hidden meaning behind her gaze. She wasn't just worried about me. It was the look of someone who knew I was hiding something.
"...I just needed to be alone for a bit."
Jang Yeeun nodded, her smile still fixed in place. "I understand. But... sometimes being alone isn't the best choice. Perhaps it would be better if we were together."
I wanted to get away. Something was boiling over inside me, though I couldn't quite identify what it was. "Um, wait a second. Let me think about it."
I took a step back from her, feeling a sudden, sharp fear. Jang Yeeun didn't take her eyes off me, that strange smile still on her lips. But even as she smiled, her gaze wavered, and I could see her fists clenched so tightly they must have been hurting.
"I understand. Just call me whenever you need me, Sieun."
With that, Jang Yeeun slowly walked past me and entered the restroom. Was it just a coincidence that she followed me here? Or... I tried to calm myself, telling myself it was just needless anxiety, but something felt fundamentally wrong.
I walked past Sieun and into the restroom. I had been so anxious about leaving her alone that I’d quietly followed her, and thankfully, she hadn't noticed. I closed the door, caught my breath, and tried to organize my chaotic thoughts.
My eyes drifted to the restroom floor. Faint traces of blood. They weren't vivid, but they were definitely there. Looking at those stains, I thought of Sieun, whom I had just passed. Blood was seeping from her left arm. And the bandage looked freshly wrapped.
I know. Kim Sieun was definitely bitten by an infected. Immediately after, she lost her reason and bit me. I still remember that vividly. But strangely, right after she bit me, she regained her senses. Once she came to, she saved me with incredible, superhuman strength. It wasn't a power a human should possess. Should I think of it as... the kind of strength seen in fire-related miracles?
But since then, several strange things have started to happen. First, her eye color changed to red. It wasn't just the color of bloodshot eyes from fatigue. Second, her body temperature dropped significantly. Every time I touch her, she feels cold. As if the warmth of life is slowly fading from her body. Third, she barely eats. Her intake has dropped noticeably, and she seems to have lost interest in food itself. She just forces herself to swallow it.
I was confused. It was clear she was changing. But she didn't look like an infected. At least, not yet. The left arm I saw earlier—a disturbing theory crossed my mind. Could she have bitten her own arm? To redirect her aggression toward others onto herself? Perhaps it’s a desperate struggle to avoid instinctually harming people.
Thinking that made my chest ache. ...She is human. I remember her when we escaped the apartment. She was devoted. She tried to save me and the others. Even in danger, she braved fear and terror to protect me. Is she turning into an infected?
I let out a deep breath and looked at my reflection in the mirror. "Sieun is human." I don't want to deny that fact. That is why I want to help her. I want to do everything in my power so she can remain human. But the fear settled in my heart wouldn't easily subside.
What if she becomes a full-blown infected? If that happens, have I put the lives of hundreds of people here at Mapo Station on the scales just to protect one person?
My hands trembled slightly. But I remember. The reason for the scars on her wrists when I first met her. She is already mentally unstable. She was someone who wanted to die. And yet, she acted with such devotion to save others. Because of that, my resolve was firm.
"I must protect her."
Thankfully, perhaps because I consumed my own blood, I felt like my urges had been somewhat satisfied. The instinctive thirst rising from deep in my throat had subsided, at least for a moment.
"Whew..."
I let out a long sigh and slowly headed down the stairs. Jang Yeeun? Well, she isn't a child; she'll find her way back on her own. It’s ironic for me to worry about anyone else. I’m the one who’s a total mess.
That was when I reached the second basement level. I saw the Lieutenant in front of me. It was the same Lieutenant who had come to rescue us with Park Geonho yesterday. Was his name Lee Junhyeok? I tried to pass by with a light bow, but something was wrong. The Lieutenant's expression was grave. If it looked that serious even to my blurry vision...
As I bowed my head from a distance to greet him, he brushed past my greeting and hurried inside. My eyes caught the object in his hand. A radio. A spark of curiosity ignited.
In the end, I stopped descending to the third basement level. I hid in the deep shadows beside the stationary escalator, sat down quietly, and began to focus on the Lieutenant's voice. Soon, the conversation began. My sensitive hearing was actually useful for once.
"Lieutenant Lee Junhyeok, reporting."
A short silence. Then, a clear voice came through the radio.
"What is the situation at Mapo Station?"
"We are currently maintaining stability. However, it seems unlikely that this situation can be sustained for long. The movement of infected groups is being observed continuously."
"Is Mapo Station safe?"
"For now, yes. However, if the subway line defense line is breached, we cannot rule out the possibility that the infected will push down to the fifth basement level."
The fifth basement. That’s where the women and children are staying. The voice from the radio spoke again.
"Additional support is impossible. All other strongholds are currently in a state of emergency. Mapo Station must maintain its defense line on its own. Also, Gimpo Airport will collapse soon."
"Understood. However... we lack manpower and supplies. With our current personnel, we may not be able to withstand the attacks of the infected."
"If Mapo Station is breached, evacuate immediately. Protecting civilians is not the top priority. Do you understand?"
Protecting civilians is not the top priority... That meant we could be left behind here. And the people here, too.
"...Orders understood."
The Lieutenant shook his shoulders once, then slowly turned and headed somewhere. I stayed hidden in the shadows until he disappeared. Now I was certain. This place isn't safe. None of us can stay here for long.
I stood up quietly and moved toward the third basement level again. Mapo Station is not safe. We cannot hold out here for long.
At that moment, memories of the novel surfaced. The reason my party left Mapo Station in the story I wrote. My party had entered this place during those very ten minutes when the military was retreating. At that time, the military hadn't fully settled in. The defense line wasn't properly established, and in the chaotic situation, the party judged Mapo Station to be dangerous and left quickly. That’s why their stay at Mapo Station was so short.
I suddenly felt a chill. The party fled along the subway line. They moved straight to Gongdeok Station. Gongdeok Station was a relatively safe zone at the time. Or, so it seemed. But shortly after arriving at Gongdeok Station, the attack began. The attack came from both the Gyeongui Line and Line 5 simultaneously.
Wait. My heart began to race. The fact that the Gyeongui Line and Line 5 were attacked meant that Mapo Station had been breached much faster than I thought. Mapo Station is already dangerous. Everyone will be wiped out by the infected. I have to tell Jang Yeeun this. She needs to prepare to leave Mapo Station with me. But there was one problem. Could I persuade Jang Yeeun? No, not just Jang Yeeun, but the others here as well.
There is no time. I bit my lip hard. I have to do something. If things go on like this, everyone dies. My hand moved to my bandage-wrapped left arm without me realizing it. There isn't much time left. I have to go to Jang Yeeun. If we want to survive, we have to move right now.